The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for exercising the human body and enhancing the body""s overall health, particularly an individual""s back health. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus specifically designed to perform a number of back strengthening exercises which exercise an individual""s back muscles and enhance the overall health of an individual""s back.
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method which aid in exercising the human body and enhancing the body""s overall health. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus specifically designed for performing reverse sit-ups and other exercises and a method for strengthening an individual""s back muscles and enhancing the overall health of an individual""s back.
Epidemiological studies have indicate that back pain afflicts approximately 60to 80% of the population in the Western world. An estimated 75 million Americans currently suffer from back pain. In addition, over 16 million Americans visit their doctors each year because of back pain. This number does not include visits to chiropractors and other therapists who treat back pain.
Furthermore, the number of Americans in bed due to back pain on any single day is estimated at 6 million and an estimated 93 million workdays are lost every year in the United States due to back pain. The costs associated with back pain relating to diagnosis and treatment, loss of productivity, disability payments, Worker""s Compensation, and lawsuits are high. The U.S. federal government estimates that approximately 14 billion dollars is spent on back pain each year.
Back pain can result from a number o problem areas in the back. Many problem areas are attributed, to the degenerative process of the spine which begins after the bones of the spinal column have reached their mature size. This usually occurs when an individual reaches their mid-twenties. However, although the degeneration of the spine can result in back pain, a great deal of back pain has been shown to be related o an individual""s inactivity.
Spinal ligaments, the tough bands of connective tissue that bind the vertebrae of the spine together, frequently begin to lose some of their strength as a result of inactivity and aging. When these ligaments become lax, thereby losing some of their ability to support the spine, it is very important to have strong muscles to compensate for their lack of spinal support. Unlike ligaments, muscles are extremely elastic and can therefore help maintain the proper posture of the back. However, when the muscles associated with the spine become weakened from chronic strain and inactivity, they cannot perform their job in aiding the support of the back.
Therefore, in that today""s lifestyles seldom include back strengthening activities, there is a need for a simple apparatus and method for strengthening the back muscles in order to enhance the overall health of the back and thereby reduce or eliminate back pain.
The present invention comprises a simple apparatus for strengthening the muscles in an individual""s back. Briefly, the apparatus includes a base structure having a first horizontal base member and a second horizontal base member attached perpendicularly to the first horizontal base member, a support member for supporting a user""s lower trunk area positioned above the first horizontal base member, means for securing the support member in a vertical position above the first horizontal base member, such as a bar member or pole, and a planar support plate attached to the bottom of the first horizontal base member such that the planar support member is located adjacent to the means for securing the support member but on the side of the securing means that is opposite the second horizontal base member.
The back strengthening apparatus may also include a removable foot plate that is attached to the first horizontal base member near an end opposite the second horizontal base member where the removable foot plate is adjustable along a length of the horizontal base member.
In one aspect of the invention, the support member includes at least one indentation at a position where a user""s lower trunk area is supported. In one embodiment of the support member, the support member includes at least two indentations, substantially equal in shape and size to one another, that are positioned opposite one another in order to accommodate the hips of a user""s trunk area. In another embodiment of the support member, the support member may include a third indentation located between the oppositely positioned indentations where the third indentation is substantially the same shape as the two oppositely positioned indentations but larger in size than the oppositely positioned indentations.